N.Z. draws cricket

Press, 9 July 1986, Page 40

N.Z. draws cricket

NZPA staff correspondent Hove The New Zealand cricket team’s match against Sussex petered out to a draw at Hove yesterday with the bad weather, which has dogged it, having the final say. Contrived declarations finally led an interesting situation soon after lunch when Sussex was set to score 275 in 215 minutes. But any prospect of victory to either side was almost immediately quashed by bad light which drove the players from . the field for 55 minutes.

Thereafter, New Zealand had the better of proceedings, reducing Sussex to 95 for three before play was stopped 30 minutes early by mutual agreement. The day did, however, provide the opportunity for Bruce Edgar to play another innings of gritty determination, and for the medium-pacer, Ewen Chatfield, to continue his comeback from injury by impressively using the life in the Hove wicket

Edgar was forced .to retire hurt in the first innings but he played the dominant role in New Zealand's second Innings which began cautiously from an overnight 12 for one, and with an over-all lead of 138.

Edgar came to the wicket at 58 for three, after the sudden loss of both Trevor Franklin (23) and Jeff Crowe (31). The first ball he faced from the off-spinner, David Standing, he square cut to the boundary and that set the tone for his innings of 56 not out, the only half-century of the match. Sussex, looking for the declaration, kept their front-line bowlers, Imran Khan and Pigott, under wraps and Edgar and Jeremy Coney (22) added 56 in 35 minutes in attractive style. . Coney chose to delay his declaration until 15 minutes after lunch when New Zealand had reached 148 for four off 55 overs. That appeared a recognition, in part, of the erratic bowling of the young Aucklanders, Brian Barrett, especially, and Willie Watson, in Sussex’s first innings of 75 for one declared. Coney’s fears seemed to be realised when Alan Green off-drove overpitched Barrett deliveries for successive boundaries , in the first over. - ' With the gloom increasing, the batsmen declined one offer to leave the field for bad light but after Standing survived a confident l.b.w. appeal off Barrett, a second offer

was accepted. On their return after 55 minutes, Chatfield used the pitch’s potent lift to { ulckly remove both openers. Any thoughts of a New Zealand surge to victory in the last hour were ' removed by Paul Parker (20 not out) and Colin Weils (35 not out). NEW ZEALAND First innings 201 Second innings Overnight 12/1 T. J. Franklin c Alikhan b Standing 23 K. R. Rutherford lbw b Imran 2 J. J. Crowe c Gould b Standing. ........ 31 J. V. Coney st Gould b Mays 22 B. A. Edgar not 0ut.... 56 T. E. Blain not out .... 12 Extras (Ibl, nbl) 2 Total (for 4 wkts dec.). . 148 Fall: 3, 55. 58, 114. Bowling: Imran 4,2, 4,1; Reeve 8,0,11,0; Mays 20,4,68, 1; Standing 12, 1, 28, 2; Wells (CM.) 8,0, 28, 0; Green 3,0, 8, 0. SUSSEX First innings 75/1 dec. Second innings D. K. Standing c J. J. Crowe b Chatfieldl3 A. M. Green c Rutherford b , Chatfield 24 |P.W. G. Parker not out . 20 Imran Khan c Rutherford b Watson i C. M. Wells not out ... . 35 Extras (nb2) 2 Total (for 3 wkts) 95 Fall: 35, 38, 40. Bowling: Barrett 6,1, 35, 0; Chatfield 13, 3, 27, 2; Watson 9, 2. 24, 1; Bracewell 4,2, 9, 0.